As you all know, the Realm of Zadrya series isn’t only about the romance or fae races. Every aspect of this fantasy world, including the fauna and flora, is unusual. It is especially known for its dangerous sentient plant life. Some varieties are even mobile and can chase their enemies before they unalive them (or eat them in the case of the crunchertrap). The hissing cactus has holes in its body where poisonous needles hide and can be launched from all directions to pierce their target(s).
You all met the crunchertraps in book one and saw Aella name one of them “Wrath” in book two. Readers also met a new plant called the Hissing Cactus, found in the Oarwar Desert. The baby cactus wasn’t named in the book, but some wayward readers in my IG group decided to start calling him “Spike” a couple of weeks ago. They behaved as if that had always been his name, even before I returned to the chat to see it, but it fit, so I let them have that one.
Now, I’m excited to reveal the professional artwork for the Crunchertrap, a full-grown mommy cactus, and the famous (infamous?) baby cactus who enjoys cuddles in Darrow’s lap. I am absolutely in awe of this artist’s work and how well she designed each plant. A big thank you to Bex at INK CAULDRON.
I will admit Spike is my favorite. It’s easy to see why Aella and even Darrow couldn’t resist cuddling the little cactus despite the danger of his poisonous needles. Hope you all love these as much as I do!
Also, for those wanting the hardback copy of Wrath & Desire, it is now available. You can order it from your preferred retailer or go directly to Ingram for a discount price (US and UK only) here:
https://shop.ingramspark.com/b/084?params=Yui9Q3K0zlu28pKi9FpFfNoskYVuSXVZ7NjpbEYl68k